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Zolatone Blog

Millennial Pink: The Trending Color That Won't Stop

Millennial Pink

Paul Simonon once said "Pink is the only true rock and roll color". Whether you realize it or not, you've seen Millennial Pink everywhere and it doesn't clash (get it?). Millennial Pink actually emcompasses many different shades of pink, and has many different names. These pinks are a range of shades of beige with a touch of blush, to peach and rose quartz, to a poppy barbie-toned pink.

If there's one thing that's true about Millennials, it's that we don't like to be categorized and labeled. And we hate the word Millennial. Nevertheless, this Millennial Pink is a color many of us can't seem to get enough of (I'm guilty).

A Very Pink History

From Luis Barragán's Cuadra San Cristóbal to Barbie to Paris Hilton introducing us to her completely pink lifestyle on The Simple Life (that was anything but simple), Legally Blonde to Jackie O, this color has been a long time coming. Over the years it's changed shades and saturations MANY times to get where it is today. Millennial Pink really seems to have escalated in popularity over the last two years since Pantone picked Rose Quartz as color of the year in 2015. The color has since then exploded in the summer of 2016. Today it seems anything in this Millennial Pink family is going to be a top seller.

Pink Places and Things

From pink interiors to solid Instagram worthy pink backdrops, this color is literally everywhere. Instagram accounts filled with pink feeds and backdrops, our favorite fashion bloggers rocking pink kicks, Starbucks officially launching the Pink Drink, and Rihanna launching her Fenty x Puma collection in an entirely pink hue... It's safe to say this color is the biggest trend since cerulean in the early 2000's, or avocado that defined a decade.

It's easy to see how this trending color can be applied to nearly everything and still be pleasing to the eye. As designers I think we can be afraid to design a pink interior, but if done right it can turn out truly beautiful!

Many of these images show pink in a feminine nature, but one of the reasons why Millennial Pink has taken off so much with this generation is because it doesn't have to be feminine at all. In fact, it was originally suggested that pink was for boys, and blue for girls. Somewhere along the way those colors got flipped, and we started associating this pleasing tone with "all things girly". Many are trying to flip this trend and use this color as a neutral.

Places like Sketch in London's chic SoHo have seen a measurable uptick in popularity since this obsession with pink has gained popularity, you can see photos shared all over social media accounts. The color seems to draw a crowd! I'm sure that's good for sales.

Pink has many positive affects on our mood and our health. Pink, as a tint of red, soothes us and provides physical trainquility rather than stimulation. It is psychologically a powerful color. Too much pink can be physically draining, so although some spaces have seen success with an all-pink-everything interior, try not to go overboard to keep a soothing and pleasant atmosphere.

Our Favorite Pinks

Our favorite ways to use Millennial Pink in interiors is to of course combine multiple shades of pink in one palette, mixed with soft creams or crisp whites.